Zeeshan Siddique, son of the late Maharashtra politician Baba Siddique, officially joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday. This move comes after Siddique was expelled from Congress in August for allegedly cross-voting in the Maharashtra legislative council elections, a charge he had denied.

In an emotional statement, Siddique expressed gratitude to Ajit Pawar and other NCP leaders, Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare, for their trust and support. He also confirmed that he would be contesting from the Vandre East constituency in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, a seat he won in 2019 as a Congress candidate.

"This is a deeply emotional day for my family and me. I am thankful to Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, and Sunil Tatkare for standing by me during these difficult times. With the love and support of the people, I am confident of winning Vandre East once again," said Siddique.

The Vandre East seat, however, has been allocated to Congress ally Shiv Sena (UBT) under the seat-sharing agreement within the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance. Shiv Sena (UBT) has nominated Varun Sardesai, nephew of Uddhav Thackeray, as their candidate for the constituency.

Siddique expressed disappointment with Congress, accusing the party of giving in to pressure from Shiv Sena (UBT) and not valuing his long-standing loyalty. "Many people spoke politically after my father's passing. I won't say much about Congress, but it is clear they always bow to Shiv Sena (UBT)'s pressure. I have spent years with Congress, and it is disheartening to see they did not value me," he remarked.

Siddique also alleged that members of the MVA had reached out to him, indicating their desire to field him as a candidate for Vandre East, before ultimately choosing Sardesai. "Deception is in their nature," he commented.

The Maharashtra Assembly elections will take place on November 20, with the vote count scheduled for November 23.